


Not As Good As

by shadowsamurai



Category: Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Minor Violence, Slash, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-13
Updated: 2012-06-13
Packaged: 2017-11-07 16:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/433050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowsamurai/pseuds/shadowsamurai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ennis wants to see where Jack lived his life, but gets a surprise he didn't really want.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not As Good As

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm just borrowing things for a while and I promise I'll put everything back exactly how I found it when I've finished. Well, almost exactly how I found it. ;)

BM-BM-BM-BM-BM-BM

"God*damm*it," Ennis exclaimed, pulling into the side of the road and thumping the steering wheel. His old pickup had made it so far without any problems, but five miles out of Childress, he'd got a flat tire. Typical.

Ennis climbed out of the pickup and after finding the offending tyre, kicked it for good measure. It didn't change anything, but it made him feel a little better. He was nervous, however, about changing it, especially after what happened to…. Ennis swallowed hard. He couldn't think about it, didn't *want* to think about it, but Jack was the whole reason Ennis had driven down to Texas. He'd never been before for a number of reasons; couldn't afford it, didn't think his pickup would make it, Brokeback wasn't in Texas….

But in truth, Ennis had wanted to see Jack living his life; he knew if he had visited him while he was still alive, he wouldn't have wanted to leave. Ennis wasn't prone to complaining; he'd learnt the hard way that it never changed anything. But he hated his life at times, the choices he'd been forced to make; Ennis wanted and needed Jack, but couldn't have him, not permanently anyway. Jack had wanted to try, of course; that's the way he was. But Ennis knew it wouldn't happen for them, and if truth be told, he was too scared to try.

And now he found himself close to Jack's life, to his widow and child, and he had a flat tyre. Ennis jumped a little every time a car drove past, wondered if one of them would stop and then his life would be over too. Part of him wished that would happen; at least he'd be with Jack and neither of them would have to hide or pretend any more.

"Jack fuckin' Twist," Ennis muttered. "Of all th' smart ideas…."

The pickup that had just passed suddenly stopped and reversed. A man looked out, a small frown marring his friendly face. "You alright there?" he asked.

"Fine. Just got a flat, is all," Ennis replied, wondering why the man looked familiar. He sure as hell hadn't met him before, but there was something about him. Was it his kind eyes, or his neat beard? Ennis frowned, trying to place the man in his memory.

"You want a hand changing it? Things can be damn tricky sometimes," the man said, his voice pleasant on the ears.

Ennis shook his head. "S'alright, I can manage."

The man stared at him for a moment before opening the door of his pickup and getting out. "Reckon I'll give you a hand anyway. Then you can tell me how you know Jack Twist."

"Huh?" Ennis replied, cold fear spreading through him.

"You're Ennis del Mar, aren't you?" the man asked.

"How th' hell d'you…?"

"Jack mentioned you," the man replied quietly. "Talked about you a lot, in fact. Good thing I didn't mind. Name's Randall Malone. I'm…I was a ranch neighbour of Jack's."

Something clicked in Ennis' mind, from when he had gone to see Jack's parents at Lightning Flats. *'Some…ranch neighbour o' his from down in Texas'.* That's what Jack's dad had said, and now Ennis was facing him.

"So you're him, huh?" Ennis asked with a scowl. "The one I wasn't as good as."

Randall frowned. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Ennis shoved him hard. "You give Jack everythin' he wanted? Huh? Were you gonna give yer wife up an' set up with him?"

"What's your problem?" Randall asked heatedly. "Jack told me all about you, how you wanted everything on your own terms, never thinkin' about him…."

There was crunch as Ennis swung his fist, catching Randall's nose and breaking it. "Bastard! Get up!" Ennis shouted, looking down at Randall's prone form. "You fuckin' say anythin' like that again an' you won't have no teeth! You don't know nothing, you hear me? Fuckin' nothing!"

"You're right, I owe you an apology," Randall said, wiping blood from his face. "I know damn well that's not how it was. I know about your wife and girls, and I understand what it's like to bust your balls all day long just to earn a living." He spat some blood out into the dust. "Jack forgot all that, but he never forgot you. Whether he was with me, with his wife or by himself, you were the only thing on his mind."

Ennis dropped his arm to his side. "Yeah, well. I mean…Jack knew, he understood that I…I couldn't. Not that I didn't want to, but…it was easier for him. He was Jack, weren't he?"

Randall nodded. "Not so easy for the rest of us."

Ennis hesitated before holding his hand out. "Reckon that smarts a bit."

"I've been hit worse," Randall replied with a smile. "Look, what say you and me fix this tire, then find something out of the way to drink a toast to rodeo cowboy called Jack? 'Cause let's face it, bud, he got us both good."

Tears pricked the corners of Ennis' eyes as he thought about the shirts hanging in his wardrobe back at home. "Yeah, he did."

FIN


End file.
